Brazil
USA trade laneBrazil grows more coffee than any country on earth, and the Santos-to-USA green coffee trade is one of the oldest continuous cargo flows in maritime history. Today it serves everyone from multinational roasters to the specialty scene sourcing single-farm micro-lots — all moving the same fundamentally moisture-sensitive agricultural product across the equator.
Coffee freight is condition management: humidity, temperature swings, and container choice determine whether green arrives at spec. AGF moves coffee with the handling discipline the product demands and the FDA workflow every food import requires.
How Coffee Ships from Brazil to USA
Green coffee ships two ways: traditional 60kg bags (about 320 bags / 19.2 tonnes per 20ft) for specialty and smaller lots, or bulk liner bags filling the container (~21.6 tonnes) for volume buyers — cheaper per tonne, standard for commercial grades. Both demand dry, odor-free, food-grade containers with kraft-paper lining and desiccant strategy against condensation on the tropical-to-temperate crossing.
Condensation ('container rain') is the classic loss mode: temperature swings crossing climate zones wet the cargo top. Lining, ventilation choices, and stowage requests (below deck, away from heat) are the unglamorous craft that protects cup quality.
- 60kg bags for specialty lots; bulk liners for volume economics
- Food-grade container inspection and kraft lining as standard
- Desiccants and stowage strategy against condensation
- Santos for volume; Vitória and southern ports by growing region
What Drives the Cost
- Bagged vs bulk-liner format
- Zero duty — green coffee enters the US free
- Condition-protection measures per season
- Warehouse delivery (many roasters use bonded coffee warehouses)
- Lot size — specialty micro-lots often consolidate LCL
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0901.11 | Green (unroasted) coffee | Duty-free into the US — the landed-cost story is entirely freight, handling, and condition. |
| 0901.21 / 2101 | Roasted coffee / extracts and instant | Processed formats classify separately at low rates with fuller FDA labeling obligations. |
Regulations and Compliance
FDA prior notice and facility registration
Standard food-import framework applies: registered foreign facilities and prior notice per shipment — routine on this lane, and we file it with every booking.
FSVP
US coffee importers maintain Foreign Supplier Verification Programs like any food importer; exporter documentation from Brazil's professionalized trade makes this straightforward.
Contract standards
Coffee trades under industry contract terms (moisture limits, defect counts, sampling rights) — logistics documentation and weight/quality certificates at origin underpin any claim, so we keep that chain clean.
Door-to-Door Import Service
From Santos or Vitória to US roasters and bonded coffee warehouses: food-grade equipment, lining and desiccant protocols, ocean freight, FDA-aligned entry, and delivery — with LCL consolidation service for specialty importers building multi-lot shipments.
Specialty buyers get the same condition discipline on ten bags as traders get on ten containers — cup quality doesn't care about lot size, and neither do we.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there duty on coffee imported from Brazil?
How is green coffee protected during shipping?
Can small specialty roasters import directly from Brazil?
Coffee is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
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